Lisbon’s startup scene is booming and there’s room for you

f you study in Lisbon you’ll most likely want to stay and live here forever

Forget the suits and ties and all the formalities of big corporations, startups are here to change the work environment forever. There are hundreds of new startups in Lisbon that are growing their businesses and there is an increasing number of students who are graduating and starting their own startups. Remember, when we told you that you would fall in love with Lisbon and not want to leave? Well, if you want to stay and work in Lisbon you should read this carefully.

When you first think of studying in Lisbon there are anumber of things that come to your mind, but the booming startup scene might not be one of them. Well, surprise, surprise, the economic crisis has brought to the light new business ideas and this a great opportunity to all international students out there! And what is a startup you ask. It’s an early stage business that is trying to solve a problem and generate immediate impact. In a startup you get things moving pretty fast, there’s no bureaucracy and decisions are taken quickly. However, it is more than just a business, it’s a state of mind and work philosophy.

This whole startup scene in Lisbon was highly supported by the city hall and it all started with the best startup hub of Portugal, Startup Lisboa. And we’re talking out of our own experience here. Uniplaces was one of the first projects to join the incubator and what once started with an idea became a truly helpful accommodation platform for students. Startup Lisboa has helped launch the best startups in Portugal such as the golfing app Hole 19, the nightlife city guide We Go Out, the digital music distributor NMusic, the automated code review tool Codacy, Chippers, the famous chips with their delicious sauces, the beautifully designed beach towels from Verttyand the unique marketplace for local servicesZaask. This business hub, located in the city centre, is also known for the unique atmosphere amongst entrepreneurs with experienced mentors and interesting workshops. Visit Startup Lisboa if you’re either starting your own business or if you wish to work in an innovative and international environment.

However, if you’re looking into other opportunities and acceleration programs you should check out Beta-i in Cais do Sodré. They have one of the best acceleration programs in Europe called Lisbon Challenge where you can develop your business and concept in 12 weeks, test your prototype or product, and pitch to investors in Lisbon, London, San Francisco and Tel Aviv at the end of the program. It happens twice a year, with a Spring and Fall edition (Fall edition will open applications soon), and it helps young entrepreneurs develop their ideas and businesses. It’s an intensive program that attracts entrepreneurs from all over Europe with creative projects. In the current challenge you’ll find very different projects such as: Wazza, Speecheo and PharmAssistant.

There are also very good indicators for this boom to be maintained for many years to come. You have new startup hubs such as Startup Campus, which is the biggest startup hub for startups in Europe. There’s also new venture capitals and business angels that are willing to invest in new businesses and ideas, such as Faber Ventures, Shilling Capital Partners, EggNestand the government supported program Portugal Ventures.

Well, have we caught your attention? Then, you can contact the Uniplaces team and find out more! We are currently based in a co-working space, in Bairro Alto, called Interpress Launchpad. Who knows? You can even take one of our summer internships as a first step towards becoming an entrepreneur yourself.

(Photo credits in order of appearance: Heisenberg Media, Philipe Lewicki, Heisenberg Media, Startup Lisboa, Beta-i)

Thanks for reading this post! We hope to see you soon, coming back for more. Did you enjoy our article? Just drop us a line in the comment section below to let us know you did. And remember! If you need to find University housing in Lisbon – or you know someone that does – you’ll find the student home you’re looking for on Uniplaces.com.

By Maria Almeida, Head of Communications at Uniplaces

PS: You cant read this article onUniplaces Blog